Colleges Collaborate to Encourage Minority Students in Biological Sciences

DATE: 3-31-03

CONTACT: James Zimmerman, (864) 654-1141
E-mail-- mailto:jkzmm@clemson.edu


Barbara J. Speziale, (864) 656-1550
E-mail-- mailto:bjspz@clemson.edu


WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 656-0937
E-mail-- mailto:peter.kent@clemsonews.clemson.edu


CLEMSON, BENEDICT, CLAFLIN AND MORRIS COLLABORATE
TO ENCOURAGE MINORITY STUDENTS IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES


CLEMSON -- The sciences, especially the biological sciences,
will play a vital role in the state's future as
biotechnology and bioengineering emerge as economic
development drivers. Clemson University and three of South
Carolina's historically black colleges -- Benedict, Claflin
and Morris -- are working to encourage more minority
students to pursue biological science careers.


Funded by a $1.8 million award from the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute Undergraduate Biological Sciences Program,
the collaborating colleges and universities will hold a
colloquium April 5 at Benedict College to showcase the
research work of minority students seeking science careers.


"This project provides money to help support undergraduate
research," said Barbara Speziale, a Clemson associate dean
and principal investigator administering the four-year
Hughes award. "Last fall, when the award was made, faculty
from these schools, plus Clemson, submitted requests to the
SC LIFE program (the local name for the full award) for
student research funding. There were two requests from
Morris and Claflin, three from Benedict, and 27 from Clemson
-- all were funded."


Students with funded projects are required to make
presentations at the colloquium. Researchers will give
10-minute oral presentations followed by a group poster
session.


Biology has been more successful than many other sciences in
enrolling African-American, Hispanic and Native American
students as undergraduates. Yet, the number of these
students who major in biology remains comparatively low,
according to Hughes data. Of the 52,314 bachelor's degrees
awarded in biology in 1994, only 2,980 (5.7 percent) went to
African-Americans, 2,901 (5.5 percent) to Hispanics and 248
(.5 percent) to Native Americans. The numbers of
underrepresented minorities who major in biology have risen
over the past decade, however, especially during the last
few years.


Educators whose programs seek to attract minorities in
biology say there is no magic formula for success.
Experience shows that there are actions that can help
produce results:
* start early to motivate students toward science
* provide support to help students feel a sense of belonging
in the sciences
* encourage students to help each other succeed
* set standards high and offer support to reach them
* pay competitive stipends for research assistants
* respect social differences
* realize success in building minority participation is a
long-term effort.


Additional information on Howard Hughes Medical Institute's
funding program is available at http://www.hhmi.org/.


END